Throughout the years, I’ve been accused of being overly optimistic many times over.

I’ll take it.

If there’s one thing I just don’t understand, it’s constant negativity. I get it... life is hard, and there are many obstacles. Trust me, I’ve had my share of scars and bruises. But that’s life -- so move on.

While I don’t want to sound naïve or simplistic, negativity just doesn’t help remove those scars or prevent the bruises of life. Just because life is hard doesn’t mean you have to make it harder by complaining about it. And you certainly don’t have to make it hard on others either.

So rather than being negative and constantly saying “no” to life, I always come from a place of yes.

Yes! Every interaction I have with people starts with me saying “yes.”

Because in the end, you can always work something out. In the end, you kind of have to work something out. In the end, we generally do work something out. So why not just start out there?

Why not just start with “yes?”

All the negativity and complaining just gets in the way of compromise, agreement and a solution -- which is what has to happen eventually anyway. “No” just puts up a speed bump to what will eventually have to happen anyway. So why not just skip all of that drama, and start out with “yes.”

Yes!

I don’t understand any other way around it! I don’t understand people who start with “no.” Actually, I do understand it, but I just wish they’d see the other side and realize that “yes” is a much better starting point.

If you’re not already in a place of “yes,” try it for a week.

Enter into every engagement with “yes.” Tell your work colleagues that yes we will come up with an amazing solution to the challenges in front of us. Tell your significant other that yes we will reach agreement on what troubles us. And tell your children that yes they can do whatever in life will make them happy. Yes of course they will.

Enter into every conversation from a place of yes. You’ll see a world of difference.

Jim Joseph

Jim Joseph is the chief integrated marketing officer and president of the Americas for New York-based communications agency Cohn & Wolfe, part of the media company WPP Group PLC. He is the award-winning author of The Experienc...